Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-05-27
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, May 13, 1887,

Association, and the annual cOnven-
ton Of Hotel PrOprietors are the most
important gatherings of the week in
this popular rendezvous Of all kinds of
National interests.
1t WAS the eighth annual conven-
ton of Mine hosts" of the American
travelling public, and the primary OBJ
ject of their meetings was to give the
proprietors, managers and clerks of
hotels chance to talk over matters of
mutual interest. They all want to
know (you know the best manner OF
getting rid of dead beats, and about
all kinds of fire-escapes and such
things. In addition to this inter-
change of experience, information and
ideas, q mutual benefit insurance as
sociation is carried on, and during the
seven years of it's existence the asso-
citation has paid out to its benefciaries
the sum of SIT ,371.
1t is seldom that SO many epicures
meet around one table as banqueted
together in the large dining saloon of
Willard's Hotel on Wednesday night.
The banquet was given to the visiting
Bonifaces by the local hotel proprie-
tors, and such feast it was as filled
the guests with enthusiasm and
prompted them to give the palm to
Washington for entertainment. Near
ly two hundred proprietors and mana
gers, representing the leading cities
and the leading hotels in the United
States, and a few specially invited
guests composed the company. The
tables and the room were profusely
decorated with cut flowers and potted
plants, and here and there stood i'm
mense specimens of the confectioner's
art in fanciful and appropriate de-
signs. The menu was very choice,
and the company was a jovial one,
hardly needing the inspiration of the
band, which discoursed popular music
from an adjoining room.
1t was nearly eleven O'Clock before
feasting gave way to oratory. "The
President of the United States" was
the first toast, proposed by Toast
master Garrison, the ex-president of
the association. To this Gen. Black,
the Commissioner of Pensions, re-
sponded in An eloquent strain twenty
minutes long. He never once men,
toned the name of any particular
President, but he painted a graphic
picture, easily recognizable, OF Lincoln
as he remembered him away back in
1850, when, as q lawyer, he used oc-
casionally to. visit the little frontier
village in Eastern Illinois, which was
Gen. Blacks home. He pointed Lin
coin in his rustic simplicity and his
homespun suit as an instance that
Presidents do not always spring from
the aristocracy, and then, enlarging
upon the power and the greatness of
the Presidential Office and pronounc-
ing the President OF the United States
the foremost man in the world, he
aroused the company to enthusiastic
applause.
Yesterday the visitors were taken
on drive to Soldiers Home; at noon
they had an interview with the Presi-
dent at the White House; in the after
noon they had a sail to Mount Yer
non; in the evening they were taken to
the theatres, and to-day they are hay
ing round Of the public buildings.
The chief event of the reunion here
of the Army of the Cumberland was
the unveiling Of the statue of Garfield,
which took place to-day amid impos-
ing ceremonies. There was an i'm
mense concourse of people at the un-
yelling, and the President and Mrs.
Cleveland occupied seats on the grand
stand, while Mr.. Keifer, who once
figured here as Speaker of the House
you remember, and who for inscruta-
BILE reason was chosen orator of the
day, was there to perform his part.
Gen. Sheridan, the president of the
society of the Army Of the Cumber-
land, rode in carriage in the parade
with Gems. Sherman, Buell. and Rose
cranz, the three surviving of the five
commanders who succeeded one
another at the head of the Army of
the Cumberland.
Among the busy preparations for
the drill is the dynorama which will
be exhibited each night, and which
will represent the naval battle in
Hampton roads between the Merrimac
and Monitor. Unlike panorama,
the war vessels in this case are real,
are seen moving about and real guns
are fired, depicting the shock and fire
of battle wildly. The illusion is such
that the spectator seems to be stand
ing on the shore of Hampton Roads.
In the distance can be seen Fortress
Monroe and a number of vessels Of
the federal fleet anchored near by.
The drama opens by the appearance
of the Cumberland, which sails in un-
der full sail and tacking around drops
anchor. The Merrimac then appears
and the work of destruction begins,
ending with the battle between the